More than 51,000 women have been diagnosed with AIDS in the United States (CDC, 1995) making AIDS the fifth leading cause of death of women during childbearing years. Recent trends indicate that women are one of the fastest growing populations of persons infected with HIV, particularly low income, minority women with ties to injection drug use. As the disease trajectory exists today, persons with HIV infection live with a chronic illness (Nokes, 1991). Research in other chronic illnesses suggest that presence of symptoms, symptom severity, and functional status influence the meaning of illness, but not necessarily adjustment to the illness. Little is known about these variables in HIV infected women. A better understanding is critical for nursing practice. Therefore as a first step in this program of research, the proposed study, guided by Lazarus and Folkman's model of stress, coping and appraisal will: describe and test relationships between meaning of illness, social supports, stage of HIV disease, CD4 count, symptoms, symptom severity, functional status, and adjustment to chronic illness for HIV seropositive women. Differences across ethnic groups will be explored. This cross-sectional multivariate study will include face to face interviews using a structured questionnaire. Low income, minority women and injection drug users with HIV infection will be actively recruited.